Implementation delayed 'by staff shortage'

Pretoria (SA) – The National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) is still not ready to implement ISO SANS 20345 for safety footwear, even though the compulsory specification, VC 9002, which makes it mandatory, was gazetted in the first quarter of 2011.

SANS 20345 is, legally, in force, but it’s not being enforced.

The NRCS now expects to be ready by November this year.

“Our problem is actually a human resources issue,” said Simon Odendaal, a specialist in the Chemicals, Mechanical & Materials Division of the NRCS. “We’re short of people.”

He said there were 2 issues which needed to be settled before implementation – designing the application form for the approval process, and “clarifying what a safety footwear type is”.

“We currently have only 1 person who can design the application form. We’re in the process of employing a second person.”

“Clarifying safety footwear types” refers to individual styles, and whether a safety footwear supplier needs to apply for a separate approval for each style, or whether one approval could cover multiple styles with the same technical features but different appearance.

The NRCS has 3 roles in the implementation of SANS 20345 – the approval process for granting compliance, surveillance, and sanctions.

“We’re not ready for any of those,” he said.

If there were no further hold-ups, he said he expected the NRCS to be administering the SANS 20345 specification by November this year. “This is seen as urgent,” he said.

Musa Ndlovu, the executive heading up the division, had not responded by the time of going to print.

Safety footwear companies refrained from criticising the NRCS, but said they were frustrated by the lack of progress: